Swimming pool coping



May 19, 1970 S. GREENE SWIMMING POOL COPING Filed April 22, 1968 INVENTOR. amue/ Greene BY -United States Patent 3,512,326 SWIMMING POOL COPDIG Samuel Greene, 18 Underwood Drive, West Orange, NJ. 07052 Filed Apr. 22, 1968, Ser. No. 723,201 Int. Cl. E0411 3/16, 7/02; E04f 19/02 U.S. Cl. 52-588 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A swimming pool coping is provided in which a base member having slotted portions and a T-section is welded to the swimming pool frame. A one-piece cover having U- shaped portions is lowered vertically to a ready position and then moved horizontally so that the U-shaped portions of the cover engage the slotted portions of the base to provide a secure and sturdy swimming pool coping.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to swimming pool edges or copings which surround the pool to provide a hard and attractive frame on which the bather may stand and which may be used to aid in the entry to and exit from the pool.

It is known in the prior art to provide a swimming pool coping of two or more cover pieces which, when placed together interlock to form a frame for the pool. The cover in any case must be secured to the framework of the swimming pool in some manner such as by welding or mechanical securing devices. The disadvantages of the prior art structures lies in the number of pieces involved and in the complex securing means required to fasten the two or more piece cover to the base and/or frame of the swimming pool.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In summary, this invention provides a one-piece cover for fitting over a one piece base to provide an attractive and strong coping for a swimming pool. The base, which is normally welded to the swimming pool frame has a plurality of slotted portions and a horizontal T-portion. The one-piece cover has formed on its underside a plurality of U-shaped portions for engaging the slotted porions of the base and for distorting so as to engage the horizontal T-portion in an interlocking arrangement whereby the cover interlocks with the base at at least three points.

Interlocking is accomplished by moving the cover down vertically over the base and then moving the cover horizontally so the cover interlocks with the base.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a cover and base coping for a swimming pool in which assembly is accomplished simply by lowering and laterally moving the cover member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a portion of the swimming pool coping.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the coping and wall construction.

FIG. 3 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the swimming pool coping.

3,512,326 Patented May 19, 1970 ice DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, a swimming pool coping is formed by moving a cover 2 down over the base 4 as shown in FIG. 3 and then moving the cover to the left so that the U-shaped portions of the cover 2 engage the slotted portions of the base 4 and a portion of the cover distorts to engage the horizontal T-portion of the base.

The base member 4 of the coping is Welded to the frame 6 by Welds 8 in an interlocking relationship with the member 24. The base 4 is formed to provide slots 10 and 12 having lips at the mouths thereof projecting in the same direction as Well as the horizontal T-portion 14. The slots face in the same direction in planes parallel to the general plane of the base, and the T-portion has a head flange 14a whose plane is perpendicular to said general plane of the base member at one longitudinal edge of the base member. The one-piece cover portion is formed with first, third and second U-shaped channels 16, 18 and 20 so that for assembly, the cover 2 may move vertically downward to the position represented by the dotted lines of FIG. 3. Then, by moving the cover horizontally laterally to the left the U-shaped portions 16 and 18 interlocked with the slotted portions 10 and 12, respectively. In a similar manner the ribbed wings 2.0a of the flange engaging U-shaped portion 20 embrace and distort to engage the flange 14a of the horizontal T-portion 14 to make a secure mechanical connection between the cover 2 and base 4. For added mechanical strength a threaded member 22 may be added as desired.

The one-piece cover gives added strength and beauty to the swimming pool coping without the mechanical and sanitary inconvenience of a multi-piece cover.

It is thus seen that this slip-on cover provides a secure .and attractive coping for swimming pools.

It should be understood that this invention is not limited to specific details of construction and arrangement thereof herein illustrated, and that changes and modifications may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A swimming pool coping comprising a base member having a plurality of spaced slots opening in the same direction outwardly of the base member, each slot having a lip at the mouth thereof overhanging one side of the slot, said lips extending in the same direction and being generally parallel to the base, a flange at one longitudinal edge of the base member disposed generally perpendicular to the plane of the base member and a cover member comprising a web having an inner edge and an outer edge, a first downwardly opening generally U- shaped channel adjacent the inner edge, a second inwardly opening generally U-shaped channel adjacent the outer edge, and a third inwardly opening generally U- shaped channel intermediate the first and second channels, said first channel including a projection at the mouth thereof projecting toward said inner edge, said cover member overlying said base member with said projection underlying said lip adjacent the inner edge of said base member, said lip of the other slot being disposed in said third U-shaped channel and said flange being seated in said second U-shaped channel, means securing said flange in said second channel.

2. A swimming pool coping as defined in claim 1 wherein the last-named means constitutes a screw pass- 3 4 ing through the flange engaging portion and screwed into 3,335,429 8/1967 Arp 52169 the flange of the body member. 3,347,006 10/1967, Fox 52-169 3,353,301 11/1967 Heilweil 52731 Referencei Cited I FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 763,150 1934 Rama 1,104,151 7/1914 Stein 160-394 2,496,910 2/1950 Fridelph. HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner 2,783,834 3/1957 Brame 160-6 95 3,081,851 3/1963 Hubbard 52732 U.S. 1.X.R. 3,298,039 1/1967 Schfiierler 52169 10 52--169,' 300 7/ 1967 Hallock 1 52 396 

